Blood Moon
by Drago1300
Summary: Starts in the middle of New Moon. Bella's bitten, not by the Cullens, but a huge coven of 12. Although they have more vamps and powerful abilities, their enemies are even more dangerous. How dangerous? More than the Volturi, that's for sure! Review plz!
1. Damn Laurent

_* Setting: This is starting in the middle of __New Moon__, when Bella bumps into Laurent in the meadow. The pack has not come to rescue her yet._

**Bella's POV**

**1 - Damn Laurent**

"You see, Bella, I'm actually here hunting."

I backed up slowly, watching in horror as Laurent dropped into a hunting crouch. The velvety voice in my head snarled fiercely. Suddenly, he stiffened. He rose into a casual stance. He was staring at a point behind me, but I couldn't look away from him.

"You came to share?" he asked jokingly, though his eyes were narrowed in a mixture of calculation and apprehension.

"You see my eyes, and yet you ask me?" a gentle, lilting voice said. I tore my eyes from Laurent, and spun to stare at the newcomers.

The voice came from a tiny Asian girl with golden eyes. One of her arms was slung across the shoulders of an Asian boy, slightly older than her, beside her. A moment later, another boy entered the clearing. He was gaunt, with jet-black hair that had metallic gold highlights that sharply contrasted his deathly white skin. The light shadows under his eyes made him look like he was suffering from insomnia. His eyes were unlike the other girl's warm, honey colored eyes or the other boy's coal black, silver. All three were inhumanly beautiful.

They were vampires, but not my vampires.

This realization started the throbbing ache in my chest. The only thing that stopped it from overpowering me was the adrenaline that filled my head. I was sure that the pain would really begin once the fear and adrenaline wore off.

"Back off, Laurent," the silver eyed boy said in a hard, icy voice. Laurent started when the boy said his name. "She's with us."

Laurent hissed with annoyance. "How many overprotective vampires does Isabella _have_?"

"We're friends with the Cullens," the boy said. Pain clawed at my chest at the sound of their name. I sat hard on the ground with a loud huff, my arms wrapped tightly across my chest. The vampires mostly ignored me, just sparing me a glance.

"If the Cu-" he continued, cutting off after a glance at me, "if they protect her, we protect her as well."

Shooting one last glare at the vampires, he turned to leave. As he turned, he winked ominously at me.

"Expect a visit from your old friend, Victoria," he chuckled, walking away. My hysteria was brimming over now. The boy who had done the speaking examined me. He picked me up, with little resistance, and glided through the forest, the trees whizzing past me dangerously fast. I started sobbing uncontrollably. This was too similar to my painful memories of… of…


	2. Why am I in a dungeon?

**Bella's POV**

**2 - Why am I in a dungeon?**

I blinked hazily, waking up. I was in a dimly lit room. The air was chilly enough that my breath formed clouds. Sitting up, I glanced around me. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of stone. An elaborate candelabrum, dusty from disuse, hung unlit from the middle of the ceiling. Under it was a large, round, wooden table. The two chairs and the cream colored couch I was laying on were the only pieces of furniture in the room. In one of the chairs, tending to a small candle, was the Asian vampire girl.

When I sat up, she turned her head to glance at me. She went the heavy door and knocked twice. After a second, the door opened a crack. A plate of food, delicacies from the look of it, was slid in. The door closed again with a thud. The girl put the plate on the table, then spoke with her musical voice.

"Eat." As I checked out my surroundings once more, I raised my eyebrows.

"What is this, a prison?" I asked sarcastically.

She laughed. Her laugh reminded me so much of Alice's that I almost started hyperventilating. I calmed myself down quickly.

"You are actually quite close. We are currently one of the dungeon cells of an abandoned castle." She chuckled. "We are actually so much more like the vampires in myths than any of the vampires you've ever known. We live in an old dilapidated castle. Or, at least, it used to be dilapidated."

"But…" I said slowly. "Why am I being held in here? I mean, why did the door open so little? It almost seemed as if you didn't want me to be able to leave." I started eating the caviar.

"Well, you see, the castle is very open. Vampires can stand on one edge of the land and smell something on the other. Have you ever heard," she said suddenly, "of how one certain person who is exceptionally appealing to a vampire?" I grimaced. Of course I had. I smelled like that to Edward. If he hadn't been lying to me. I couldn't be sure of anything about him at this point. I dropped the silver fork and gasped, doubled over. The pain was tearing apart my chest again. The girl frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously. Once again, this reminded me of Alice. The pain was eating up my heart now.

"I… I don't like… like thinking… about… about… the Cullens," I managed to choke out. "It hurts…"

"I'm sorry," she murmured softly. "What did I say to remind you?"

"Ummmm… You know how you were talking about the people who… taste best to a certain vampire?" She nodded. "Um… I was like that to… to…" I couldn't bring myself to say his name, so I finished, "my old boyfriend."

"Aaaah… Drake will want to know about everything, of course."

"Who's Drake?" I asked.

"He's the guy who saved you. I think he likes you," she said with a small smile. "He noticed that you see to get in trouble a lot, and also found out that you're on the Volturi's hit list." I gulped. "So, he persuaded Bryon, our leader, to let you to join our coven. If you wanted to." She smiled. "How ironic. He falls in love with the only person whose mind is safe from him."

"Mind," I squeaked faintly, trying not to think of the other person that I knew who could read minds.

"Apparently, according to Ken, my mate, you're a shield."

"A shield?" I repeated doubtfully. "What's a shield?" All I could think of was a ridiculous suit of armor.

"It's an ability which protects. Yours protects your mind." She smiled wryly. "We can't be sure, because Ken can't get a read on you."

Suddenly, I had a thought. "What's your name?"

She smiled. "I'm Amy."

"So, what were you about to say before I started breaking up, again?" I asked, almost jokingly. She was just so friendly; it was hard to feel uncomfortable around her. Even thinking that she would get along well with Alice didn't hurt as much. I still cringed mentally when I thought about Edward, though. Ouch. Like that.

"Well, I was basically saying that you're extremely… alluring to a brother of mine."

"So you think of your coven like family, as well?" I asked. Apparently, that was common in "vegetarian" vampires. She nodded.

I continued, "How many people are in your family?"

"Um… Bryon would like to withhold any information on our family until you actually join us. Just precautions, you know?"

Finally, the hardest question for me to ask. "Are you really friends with the Cullens?" I whispered.

Amy shook her head. "It was just a bluff to scare Laurent off." The disappointment rattled me slightly. After a moment, she smiled.

"Well, the rest of the family has left. It's time for you to get a feel for our home. She pushed open the door easily. I frowned. The door looked so _heavy_. I pushed experimentally against it, then with all my strength. It didn't budge.

"I forgot how strong vampires were," I said, smiling wryly. "How did you know when your family left? The door seems both sound proof and… smell proof?" She chuckled at my made up term.

"Drake has this ability to both read people's thoughts and send thoughts to people." I flinched inwardly at the sound of "reads people's thoughts." Then I was totally distracted at the scene around me.


	3. Meeting the vampires

**Bella's POV**

**3 - Meeting the vampires**

We were in a huge, dark room almost as big as the entire Cullen house. My guide drifted to the wall and pulled a cord. An expensive looking, modern chandelier flickered to life above us. I gasped. The building around us was made with milky white marble. White, plush couches circled the room. In the center of the room was a raised platform on which stood a grand piano. Beautiful paintings hung from the walls. Near one of the doors stood a sword, whose sheath was encrusted with diamonds. The boy who I assumed was Ken stepped out of this room. Joining us, he kissed Amy lightly on the cheek as we walked across to the other side of the room. We walked under an archway that led to the kitchen.

The boy who had picked me up yesterday and I knew now as Drake sat across from someone I had never met before. He looked about twenty. He had short, bronze hair that painfully reminded me of Edward. His eyes were silver, like Drake's. His expression was stern yet kind at the same time. He had a tall, lean build, with subtle muscles. His eyes were alert as they examined me from head to toe, making me blush. When he spoke, his voice was strong and gentle.

"I'm Bryon." I shook his granite hand, murmuring, "Nice to meet you." "So you're the famous Bella of the vampire world. Do you have any questions for me before you make the decision?" I nodded.

"What's with your eyes?" I asked. "I've never seen vampires with silver eyes." Bryon smiled.

"We'll explain to you if you decide to join." Drake seemed annoyed, probably by the thoughts of someone in the room. But not me, of course. Or by the fact that it could not be me.

"Does your coven have any enemies or allies?" Bryon frowned.

"Well, we have no allies but a single vampire, and maybe any vampires that she's joined up with. She's a nomad, last I heard of her. Drake should be able to find her quite easily." He laughed and winked at Drake, who grumbled under his breath and elbowed Bryon sharply. Bryon winced.

"We have a single coven of rivals. They are extremely powerful, but, for all they know, we're long gone. However," he said, his face now growing serious, "you have to consider this before you join us. They could easily wipe us up. Joining our family could turn out being a fatal decision." I nodded thoughtfully.

"Why do so few vampires know about you?" Drake answered this time, his voice somehow sounding both warm and as cold as it had in the clearing. With Laurent. I shivered.

"If any vampires knew us, there was a chance that this could lead to bringing us to the attention of our enemy coven or the Volturi. We have kept ourselves secluded from the rest of the world, and so we have been able to…" His voice faded, and he glanced at Bryon, who had a cautioning look on his face. He made a face. I presumed that he was reacting to a silent command to Bryon. "Well, we'll tell you more later… if you join us." It was my turn to grimace. So many secrets until I joined them. But how tempting! To be able to make a difference in the mythological affairs that seemed to surround my life. To be safe from Victoria! Or, at least, saf_er_ than I was now.

"The rest of the family is out hunting right now. They'll rejoin us tomorrow, so you can explore the home today. In case you stay," Amy smiled. I jumped. I had nearly forgotten her and Ken. She grabbed me by the arm and began towing me towards the huge, heavy wood doors. She heaved it open with the help of Ken, who was trailing behind us. When they opened the doors, I gasped. I stepped out onto the land. After Ken slipped on a black parka and Amy put on a hooded, long shawl, they joined me.

"This is beautiful," I whispered, gaping at the scenery. We stood in a huge clearing for the castle made in the middle of a forest. The trees were tall and majestic, golden sunlight trickling through the leaves. All different kinds of butterflies fluttered around. The castle, from the outside, really looked like an ancient, broken down fortress. Weeds covered the ground to augment the "abandoned" theme. Around the castle stood delicate pale pink, baby blue, and cream flowers. I stooped near a clump to smell them. I was shocked by their fragrance. They were delicious!

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Amy murmured, inhaling deeply. "I love these."

"What are they?" I asked, curious.

"Um… They're flowers that are only found here. Here as in on our territory." She looked vaguely uncomfortable.

We continued onward through the forest, Amy and occasionally Ken pointing out things, like a rock hewn into the shape of a bear standing on its hind paws and a huge tree that had an elegant archway, allowing me to look into the tree. A space was hollowed out in the heart of the tree. The walls and ground were perfectly smooth. The walls were decorated with paintings: both simple and complex, scenery and portraits. The room was big enough to hold the king-sized bed that was in the center, and have plenty of room to spare. The cover was sky blue, and the pillows white. A luxurious, off-white couch sat near the wall. Near it was a rocking chair. There were two archways leading away from the room. I glanced into them. One led into a small, cozy kitchen. The other led into a bathroom with small shelves decorated by sea shells in perfect condition. A round mirror edged with gold hung above the counter with the sink. A Jacuzzi and a mix of a bath tub and a shower were hidden behind drapes that could be fastened from the inside. A wooden screen like the one at the main doorway into the tree could be used as a door. Going back to the bedroom, I saw a door which blended in with the wall. I opened it and gaped. It was a walk-in closet as big as the room, with everything from accessories to casual T-shirts and jeans to silk and satin dresses. I took one glance around the room. Alice would approve.

I walked back outside, where my two vampire guides were waiting patiently for me.

"Did you like it?" Amy asked with an amused expression.

"I loved it! It was amazing! Who made it?" Amy smiled.

"Me," she grinned. I gaped at her.

"_You_ made that?" I asked, amazed.

"Well, it was a team effort. I designed it and decorated it, Drake was, I guess, the messenger, Ken helped move the furniture in, and our only family friend did the actual work."

"Drake was a messenger?" I echoed, confused.

"You see, with his ability to both read people's minds and project images into them, he can show our friend exactly how I planned it."

"Why'd you make it? I mean, it's beautiful, but I noticed that one of the rooms, the kitchen, was unnecessary for vampires."

Amy grinned. "I like making things. So, on one of me and Ken's honeymoons, I got the idea of making the perfect honeymoon 'hotel' for a human. That," she said, gesturing at the tree, "was my idea. The paintings are mine, too." She smiled at me, then motioned that we should keep moving. As we started walking through the woods again, I continued pestering her.

"Do you have an ability?" I asked. "Like how some vampires can do extra things, like Drake is…" I struggled for a word here, "telepathic?" Amy smiled at my word of choice.

"I already told mine to you," she answered. I looked at her, confused. "My ability is art." I cocked my head.

"Oh." She laughed at my expression. After an hour, we reached a river. The water didn't move at all. It curved around us on either side. It was extremely deep; so deep that I could barely see the bottom, despite the water's surprising clarity. I bent down to pick a flower. When we turned to follow the bank I thought I saw something sparkle momentarily at the spot where I picked a flower. When I looked, I saw nothing, so we kept walking. I occasionally paused to look at one of the many fish that flitted around in the clear, sparkling water. After another hour or so of walking and occasional rest, I realized that I was missing something.

"Damn," I grumbled under my breath. I remembered the sparkle at the river bank where I picked the flower. "I think I dropped my bracelet when we reached the river." Amy shrugged.

"We'll pick it up, later," she said. Finally, after another peaceful moment, she said, "Okay, this is getting boring. She grabbed me and swung me playfully into her mate's arms. "Let's fast forward!"


	4. Bite me

**Bella's POV**

**4 - Bite me**

They darted forward. The forest blew past us so fast that I couldn't see anything but a green blur. Soon, Ken shifted, cradling me in one arm. His other hand held Amy's. I was breathless with exhilaration when we slowed down to human speed. Ken placed me gently on the ground. I looked around. We were at a waterfall that started at a high up canyon, now. The water's drop continued deep below us, but was strong enough to make the ground tremble slightly beneath us. The muted thundering of the pounding water mixed with the singing of birds, the chattering of tree-dwelling critters, and the calls of other wild animals was soothing. The clearing of trees around the waterfall made a grassy meadow that was bathed with sunlight. Amy pursed her lips, concentrating on the land around her. She inhaled deeply, then again. Apparently, she decided that there was no one else besides us nearby. She and, after a nod so fast that I almost missed it, Ken stripped off their gloves and other unnecessary accessories. Now Amy was just wearing a turquoise T-shirt and black gauchos. Ken was wearing jeans and an open, button-up shirt that was a blue-gray so light that it almost seemed white, with thin, slightly darker blue stripes running down the right side. Under that he wore a thin white undershirt that hugged his lean, muscled figure. He wasn't as impressive as Bryon had been, but he was still looked relatively dangerous compared to some of the vampires I knew. In the Cullen family, his equal in a fight, not including extra abilities, would probably be Edward. From what I saw, Ken could probably even match Edward, the fastest vampires I had ever known, in speed. Amy was like Alice, abilities aside. Bryon would probably match Jasper. I laughed to myself, wondering why I was comparing the two covens. Then I thought, _I wonder whether any of their family could equal Emmett in a fight_. This made me laugh again.

Ken darted into the trees.

"Where's he gong?" I wondered out loud.

"He's hunting," she answered cheerfully. I winced as I heard a loud snarling that trailed off into a gargled whimper, then a series of cracks. "His favorite is the eagle, although it takes forever to find them, and they have so little blood." She inhaled deeply. "He got a wolf, this time." After a moment, he was back. His black eyes were replaced with gold. When he nodded a greeting to me, his tongue shot out, dabbing the edge of his lips. A drop of missed blood disappeared into his mouth, and his tongue looked abnormally red. I winced.

"Wow, you really look like…" I said, then unable to find a better word, I finished, "a vampire." Both he and his mate laughed.

"Let's finish the tour," Amy called, already running. Picking me up suddenly, my breath whooshing out of my lungs, Ken started running. He moved faster than I could have possibly imagined. Any passer by would simply see a glint from his bare skin, and that would be all. In a moment, we caught up with Amy. Ken was laughing heartily, and Amy more daintily. They gazed at each other as they ran, instinctively avoiding obstacles. Ken made sure that no branches were even closer than a foot away from him. This was purely for me, of course. Amy didn't take as much care, letting the smaller branches lash at her. Not that they were in any danger from any of their surroundings. I felt bad for any trees they might crash into at this speed. Still following the river, we went on like this for a while, until we reached a familiar area. It was noon now, and we had started in the early morning.

"Aren't we back where we met the river?" I asked, confused. Amy nodded.

"Think, Bella!" Despite our seemingly long time together, I was surprised when she used my nickname. _Deja vu_, I thought. Another vampire had surprised me by using my nickname before really knowing me. Edward. As I thought the name, I felt as though a thorn was being driven into my heart. Thinking about the name was still painful. But endurable. If I could stop trying to forget my past, I would gladly take this pain. It was so much less than what it had been before I met Bryon's family. When I had started spending time with Jacob, he had started healing my wounds. He was both like a pain killer and a bandage. After Sam had stolen him, I had started hurting again, and my heart had started bleeding again. But now, ever since I had met Bryon's family, I felt that I was slowly but surely healing. They were good for me. This made me make up my mind.

"Hello? You still there, Bella?" I started, my surprised expression making Ken break out into laughter. I realized that I had totally spaced out and forgotten that she had been talking to me.

"Yes, Amy?" I asked.

"I was saying that we have been walking in a circle. Think about it. A round river around a castle…"

I gaped. "You mean, the river's a _moat_?" She chuckled. I shook my head, amazed. Amy grabbed my hand, her marble skin leaving goose bumps on mine. In a second, she drew away. On my hand was my bracelet.

"Thank you!" I said, beaming at her. She seemed slightly curious.

"What?" I asked.

"What were you thinking about when I was talking to you earlier? You looked out of it."

""Well, I've… I've decided." I said. Amy cocked her head to the side, angelic. "I want to join your family."

Amy nearly squealed with delight. She grabbed me up in a hug, then hurriedly grabbed Ken and started sprinting towards the house. While she was running, she transferred me from her arms to his. Apparently, she was extremely excited about me joining them.

"Do I get to know the secrets, now?" I mused. "Or do I have to wait until I'm actually a vampire?" Amy giggled.

"You can know when Bryon says you can," she said, her words barely audible to my insensitive human ears what with the wind whipping past us. Turning serious, she turned her head slightly toward me. "You'll have to get used to living with Bryon's word as the law. He's a fine, competent leader. Trust him, or he won't trust you." I nodded. Finally, we reached the castle. She and Ken pushed open the door, then flashed to Bryon's side. He was sitting on the couch, blinking as we blew right into the room. Drake appeared in the room as well, a wide grin spread across his face. Bryon glanced at him, listening to his telepathic remarks. In two seconds, he smiled as well. Then he became serious.

"Are you sure, Bella? You have to keep in mind that you will never see anyone else who you know again." I thought sadly of Charlie, Renee, Phil, Jacob, and the Cullens. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

"I'm sure," I said confidently. He looked sharply at the scar on my hand. A souvenir from James.

"You already know the agony of transformation, so I don't have to describe it to you. Which is good, because before, I just had Drake show the others in their mind." All three of the other vampires winced. "Obviously, that wouldn't work with you." He pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"I wonder… I presume your shield will follow you into your other life. Will you be able to…" He trailed off. Amy suddenly took my hand and led me outside.

"Bryon wanted me to ask you whether you're doing this for a person. Humans fall in love with vampires easily."

I blinked. I hadn't thought that way at all. Or, at least not for a guy.

"Well, one of the main reasons I'm doing this is that hanging out with you seems to have helped me cope with the pain." I touched my chest. Amy's eyebrows furrowed.

"So you're only doing this to forget your pain?" she asked.

"No, no, no, no, no. That's just one of the reasons. I mean, try to imagine living your life without Ken." She flinched. "I have other reasons. Danger seems to be attracted to me, so I might as well make myself a little less breakable. Mythological creatures surround me, and I'm helpless around them." As I took a breath to continue, she clamped a hand over my mouth.

"I get your point," she said with a wry smile. I smiled as well, a genuine smile. The smile that I had before Edward had left me. Now, the pain that I felt thinking of him was just a scratch down my chest. Better. I was definitely healing. I smiled again.

"So, you don't like Drake?" she asked. "If you don't and you join our family, you might hurt his feelings."

"He'll live," I replied. "How could I like someone who I've never even talked to before?"

"Lots of humans fall for vampires who they've never spoken to," Amy said, amused.

"That's because they aren't used to vampires," I said dryly. Amy laughed.

"Before you turn into a vampire, you have to deal with the humans you know." I frowned. This was going to be troublesome. "You can do it any way you like so long as they don't start looking for you."

"Fine," I sighed. "When will we do it?"

"The sooner the better," Amy said, towing me towards their garage and into a black sports car.


	5. Why did I leave my heart?

**Edward's POV**

**5 - Why did I leave my heart?**

A month ago I had given up staying away from Bella. I had come to Forks to beg her to take me back.

Only to find her dead.

I actually didn't find her dead. I never saw the body, but I heard about her suicidal death note to Charlie. Charlie had seemingly gotten over it, though, happy and cheerful as always unless someone mentioned the words "daughter," "Bella," or "suicide." Apparently, the note had said something about me, because when Charlie first saw me back in town, he nearly pulled his gun on me. Not that it would have harmed me whatsoever. The only things that stopped him were his fellow officer and the fact that he knew that Bella wouldn't have wanted him to hurt me.

I wished otherwise.

I would have killed myself, maybe with a visit to the Volturi, but I felt a need to both find her body and the way she had died and to relive my memories of Bella. I could perfectly remember everything she had done when I was with her. I could remember her every blink in my mind's eye. My family had vigorously agreed to my new idea, because it gave them a bit more time to persuade me to stay alive. Only Jasper and Alice didn't say anything. Alice, who seemed confused, but she wouldn't tell me why, and Jasper, because he could clearly feel my pain, and he understood my wish to be relieved of it. I had asked my family, everyone except these two, to leave Forks. I couldn't bear to hear their pitying thoughts.

Today I was going to the meadow where Bella and I had had so many memories. Pain ate at me every time I thought that name. But I deserved the pain. I almost enjoyed it. I was turning masochistic. Great.

As I ran lightly to the meadow, I glared up at the sky. The town of Forks had been unusually dry for the whole month. It seemed as if the world was refusing to mourn with me. In movies, whenever a good guy died, it was pouring. The world was mocking me now.

I hated pathetic fallacy.

Finally, I reached the meadow. I leaned against a tree, tearless sobs shaking my body. But I noticed something.

Bella's scent was here in the meadow. She had been here during my absence.

She had really missed me.

Guilt flooded me.

I crouched low to the ground, inhaling the scents that had rubbed off. Bella's scent was still on the plants and the ground. Mine was totally gone. As I took another deep breath, I stiffened. There were more scents here.

A ominously familiar scent lay here. Three strange scents, vampires, here. And I noticed something new that I had missed before. Something bad.

Bella's scent was stained with the sharp yet faint scent that prey felt when I approached. Fear scent. I recognized the other scent as well. It didn't belong to a friend.

"Laurent!" I snarled; a hissing snarl that startled the wildlife around me. "Damn him!" The other scents were all vampires' as well. This was bad. I flipped out my new Sidekick that Alice had gotten me. I growled impatiently while I waited for the lights to stop blinking. How exasperating! I swore I was going to switch back to my old phone as soon as I finished dealing with this new complication. And who the hell was this Samar person that Alice had bought it from?

Finally, the phone was ready to call. I speed dialed Carlisle and talked rapidly into it. I growled, annoyed. Emmett and Rosalie were away on one of their honeymoons. Again. I called Alice. She picked up on the first ring. Apparently, she had been expecting a call.

Of course. Annoying psychic little sister.

I explained the situation to her, trusting her to get the word to Emmett and Rosalie. Finally, I hung up and started running towards our house.

A day had passed since I had been to the meadow, and I was growing impatient. Only Carlisle and Esme were here. Alice and Jasper were still tracking down Emmett and Rose. I paced furiously, with Esme watching me concernedly.

_Poor boy. This must be so hard for him._ I growled. I hated her pity. Her thoughts were immediately occupied by a vase of flowers. I stiffly nodded my thanks to her.

Carlisle was down at the meadow, getting the scents. A thought caught my attention.

_Edward!_ I looked towards the window. Esme followed my gaze, curious. Alice, along with Carlisle and the rest of my family, jumped in through the window.

"We went to the meadow, so we already got the scent," Alice explained. I nodded.

"Let's go, then," I said. I glared irritably at Emmett, who was wondering eagerly whether we would get a good fight out of this situation, then led my family back to the meadow.


	6. My family

**Bella's POV**

**6 - My family**

It had been about a month since I had turned into a vampire. I was slimmer than before, with a much more attractive figure. I was as gorgeous as even Rosalie. My eyes were now thinner and angled, more exotic. My irises were crimson, which took a while to get used to. I had been horrified when I first saw my reflection.

It just wasn't me.

But I had grown to love my new look. When, yesterday, Bryon had agreed, I took my first visit to a nearby city. He didn't want to risk anybody recognizing me in Forks. My seemingly unquenchable thirst, which clamored above all other thoughts, made it hard, but I had managed not to reveal us in any way. I was proud of myself. I was surprisingly controlled and clear headed for any vampire, especially a newborn, according to my new family. My emotions were not as extreme as most newborns' were. I wondered whether this was due to my numbing of emotion after Edward left.

A couple days after my transformation, I had met my family. They numbered twelve in all, a huge coven: Ken, Amy, her sister Lena, Lena's mate, Andrew, Drake, his sister Ravyn, Kura, his mate, Sora, Blaine, Diane, her mate, Shawn, Jon, and his mate, Michelle.

Lena was as petite and slim as her sister. She had the ability of making vampires seem like humans… to everyone except me.

Her mate, Andrew, was also Asian. He had long hair tied back simply. He was tall and calm, and nearly as fast as Ken. He apparently also excelled in poker, as he almost never showed any emotion.

Ravyn was as gaunt as her brother. Her hair was so black that, instead of shining when light touched it, it seemed to absorb the light. She had a cold, unsociable personality. She was not unfriendly to anyone. She was simply never extravagantly kind to anyone, either. She didn't talk much. I did not understand her ability that well.

Kura and Sora, like Drake, had not been turned into vampires by Bryon. Neither knew where they came from, but, when they discovered Bryon's family, both of them fell in love with this lifestyle. Neither of them had met other vampires before, so they were excepted into the family.

Kura was huge, like Emmett. His skin had been tan as a human. He looked shorter and younger than Emmett, but he could probably match him in a fight. He was a beast. He was still a newborn, less than a year old. Sora was older than him in this way. Her eyes were purely silver, unlike her mate's red-flecked silver eyes. She had similar tan skin. She was petite like Amy. Kura's ability was that he was able to sense any danger, leading Bryon to the conclusion that he had been a bodyguard as a human. Sora cured pain. You knew that you were hurt, it just didn't affect you. She had eased my transformation into a vampire. It had still been painful, but not as agonizing as when James had bitten me.

Blaine had had so dark skin as a human that, as a vampire, his skin color could pass as a human. He had silvery black wavy hair that was tied back. He always wore sports sunglasses. He was clearly a fighter, from his sleek, muscled body. I didn't understand him well. He was mysterious, a silent shadow that lived with the family. His ability was something to do with fire.

Diane was half Asian, half white. She was as beautiful as the rest of her family, and she had a distracted air around her. She was playful. Her hair was a dark chocolate brown. Her ability was as useless as Amy's in a fight.

Like Amy had the ability of art, Diane had the ability of music.

I watched her play the piano before, astounded by her impromptu compositions. It reminded me of Edward.

Shawn had long, dirty blond hair. It was just too short to look good tied back. He was rugged, with a sturdy build. When I had first met him, he took a couple deep, curious breaths, earning himself a disapproving look from Drake.

"What?" I had asked, slightly wary. Instead of Shawn, Amy responded, to my surprise.

"Well, do you remember when you first woke up in our house, and you asked why you were in a dungeon?" she asked, eyes twinkling. I bobbed my head with a quick jerk.

"You said that somebody was especially attracted to my scent."

"It was Shawn." Now Drake spoke, chuckling.

"He was wondering whether you smell the same."

"Well?" I asked Shawn playfully.

"You smell the same, but different at the same time," he said thoughtfully. "You still smell extremely good to me, but without the smell of… blood." I smiled.

Another of my new family member was Jon. Jon was the oldest, at least in one way. Bryon had existed longer than him; it was just that he had spent more time as a human. He had blond hair slightly lighter than Shawn's. His hair was extremely straight, and combed back. It was the same length as Shawn's as well. Jon had a noble look, with a kindly, handsome face and a slim body. He looked… refined. He had the ability of invention. If he wanted to make something, he felt a pull towards doing the right thing to make it. He was extremely similar to Carlisle, but instead of specializing in medicine, he specialized in invention. When the family was in a human community for some reason, Jon pretended to be the head of the family, only because it would make more sense for the adult to be in charge. Bryon still controlled him, though.

Michelle was as like Esme as Jon was like Carlisle. She had a motherly, kind personality. Light freckles were splashed over her face. Her hair was chestnut with honey tints.


	7. Enter the Cullens

**Bella's POV**

**7 - Enter the Cullens**

I was training with Drake. Drake was, of course, gentle and patient with me. We were working on extending my shield to protect other people's minds as well as mine, and lifting the shield. Apparently, my ability of shielding had grown over the time while Edward was gone. My ability could not only protect me from mental attacks, but weaker physical ones as well. Drake told me to keep my mental shield lifted unless I felt I was threatened. That way, it would be fair. Bryon knew what everyone else was thinking all the time through Drake.

Drake was making me go through all of my human memories. He winced every time Edward and I touched, and started growling when Edward left me. Finally, he winced again ever so slightly when I had been talking to Amy and told her that I wasn't in love with Drake.

_I don't see how he could have left you_, he thought abruptly.

_Well, after all, I was only human back then_, I thought back sadly.

_So? He was so lucky to have you, and he threw you away!_ he thought angrily.

_I wasn't all that special,_ I thought. Drake snorted.

_Yes, you weren't special, so just about every guy in your school liked you, including a vampire_, he thought sarcastically. I chuckled.

_Thanks_, I thought after a moment.

_What for?_ he asked.

_Letting me join your family. Supporting me. Trying to make me feel better. Thinking so well of me._

_You're welcome. Feel free anytime_.

I grinned.

Then stiffened as Drake stiffened beside me.

_Vampires!_ he hissed to the whole family.

A coven of vampires, seven in all, glided through the forest. One was a tiny girl with spiky, ink black hair. One was a tall, honey blond boy with scars layering his skin. Another was a gorgeous girl with waist-length blond hair. The boy beside her was a huge, bear-like vampire. A woman and a man were behind them. The woman had a heart-shaped face and worried eyes. The man had neat blond hair on a think face. He was tall and kind, with the look of an intellectual. Leading them was an all too familiar boy, with bronze hair and a godlike face. I hadn't seen them for so long that it took a moment to realize exactly who they were.

The Cullens.


	8. Romeo vs Juliet?

**Bella POV**

**8 - Romeo versus Juliet?**

Drake and I gasped almost simultaneously.

"The Cullens," I murmured softly, wonderingly.

"The Cullens," Drake hissed, spitting their name out harshly. His glaring eyes focused on the vampire in the front. Edward.

Some of the family appeared behind them, then surrounded me. They were Bryon, Blaine, Ravyn, Andrew, Ken, Kura, and Shawn. In Blaine's hand was a lighter. I sighed lightly.

"You can relax," I told them, straightening from the low, defensive crouch that I had dropped into instinctively. Bryon turned his gaze from the Cullens to stare at me.

"Oh," he murmured, looking at Drake. "You forgave him?" I shrugged.

"I trust that they won't attack us, as their leader has an aversion to violence. Plus, you, Drake, and I know the Cullens well. We'd definitely win." I glanced at my brothers. "Maybe you should ask Kura and Drake."

Kura pursued his lips. "Well, they were going to attack us, but they stopped when they saw our numbers. Their threat was pretty high. They must have some pretty amazing fighters. Only the guy in the front still wants to fight." He jerked his head towards Edward.

"Drake?" Bryon asked.

"Carlisle wants to sort things out peacefully, Emmett wants a fight, but knows that they couldn't win, Esme is scared for her family, Alice is trying to read what we're going to do, but she can't because we haven't decided yet, Jasper is thinking through all the possibilities, Edward is filled with blind rage, and Rosalie is annoyed because she can hear me reading off everybody's thoughts." He laughed. Edward, in response to Rosalie's thoughts, turned to glare at Drake. Both of their eyes narrowed. Apparently, they were having a mental discussion. Or, more likely, a fight.

"Greetings," Carlisle called out. Edward turned furiously toward him, but Emmett and Jasper held him back, muttering quickly in his ear. Finally, his face became a blank mask, devoid of emotion.

"Greetings," Bryon replied, dipping his head. "What brings you to our territory?"

"Killers," Edward hissed under his breath, earning a sharp look from Carlisle.

"We were wondering if you know about a human whose name was Bella," Carlisle said.

"And what if we do?" Bryon asked softly, smiling. Edward was nearly vibrating with rage.

"We would also like to know if you killed her," Carlisle said in a much lower voice. Edward froze, listening, no doubt.

"Erm," Bryon laughed, glancing at me. "Depends on your definition of the word 'kill'." Edward's glare turned to me. His eyebrows pushed down.

_She looks like Bella, but I can read her thoughts_, he mused, then groaned as he heard Drake transfer it to us. _Geez that guy is annoying._ Drake laughed, thinking, _You too._ Edward rolled his eyes. My family laughed. The rest of the Cullens, unable to hear the conversation, looked around, confused.

"One of their people can read minds and send thoughts," Edward murmured. "We're kind of both in each other's heads."

"Oh," Carlisle said shortly.

"Yes, that _is_ Bella," Bryon laughed. Carlisle started.

"Who? What?"

The family shifted so I was in the front. Carlisle gaped at me.

"Be – Bella?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Hey, Carlisle," I sang in my musical voice. Alice nearly burst into tears. In two seconds, she was in front of me. She threw her arms around me. The Cullens shifted uncomfortably.

"Alice," Carlise said in a cautioning voice. I shook my head.

"It's fine," Bryon answered for me.

"Alice," I cooed, stroking her head. "I missed you so much." Alice stepped back.

"You're so _mean_!" She pouted. "You had us thinking you were dead for a whole month!"

"Sorry," I grinned. "It was necessary." Looking at Drake, I thought, _Can they know about our home and everything?_

Through him, Bryon answered, _If they promise to be our allies._ I nodded. It made sense.

_Can you guys do that? I'll clean up my room._ Bryon frowned.

_They'll be in your room?_ he asked.

_I trust them. So should you,_ I said.

After some deliberation, he nodded. I darted back into the house, leaving the others to sort out the formalities.


	9. Reunion

**Bella's POV**

**9 - Reunion**

My spacious bedroom easily fit me, Kura, and the all the Cullens.

All the Cullens, that is, but Edward.

I looked around at my family. However I felt about the coven I was with, these vampires were my real family. I waited while the Cullens checked everything out, from the heavy golden, velvety curtains to the balcony to the luxurious crimson carpet. With the help of my new brother, Kura, I pulled the curtains out of the way with a thick, gold gilded cord. When my family settled, I pulled out a cardboard box from my closet.

"I made this collection while you guys were figuring out of the alliance," I beamed. I tossed boxes of various sizes to each person. "Open them," I encouraged.

Alice opened hers to pull out two dresses. The black one was long and formal, with lines of different colored and sized pearls draped across the neckline. It was sleeveless with a low cut. The other was a more casual pale pink short dress. She trilled a laugh.

"Thank you, Bella! They aren't yours, though, are they? Their not at all your style," she chuckled.

"No, their not," I smiled. "One of my sisters has an ability of art. She's a clothes designer, as well." Alice grinned.

"I have a feeling we'll get along extremely well," she laughed. I nodded my agreement.

Esme opened hers to find a set of pot carved out of ivory. Nestled in them were various plants. One had the flowers unique to the island, another a bonsai. She hugged me, kissing me on the cheek.

Carlisle got a thick book, which he immediately began reading. Vampires, like everything else they do, read extremely fast. His hand blew back and forth, flipping pages carefully. I laughed.

Rosalie got an oval hand mirror with flowers made of gold and silver framing it. The back was a beautiful cat, with its tail twined down the handle. The eyes were drops of emerald and ruby. She arched her eyebrows as if to ask, "A mirror?" I laughed.

I chuckled as Jasper unwrapped his small box. He held up a ring, biting his lips to keep from laughing.

"What is it?" Alice asked curiously. He slid it on. It was a silver and gold ring, with a large gem in the center. It flashed between colors quickly.

"A mood ring," he grinned. Everyone in the room began laughing.

Emmett grunted as he lifted a small ball. "What's this?"

"Jon made it for… training," I said. "He found a way to concentrate materials. That's a concentrated ball of _secret_ alloys." He tossed it experimentally into the air, catching it. He winced.

"Damn," he muttered. "That's heavy." I laughed.

"Exactly my point."

"Where's… Edward?" I asked, flinching again at the name. It was getting worse now that he was within my reach. Damn it.

"He decided that being here would be too painful," Jasper said. I frowned.

"That's silly." Mentally, I reached for Drake's thoughts.

_Can you get Edward here?_ After a moment, Edward thought,

_Why?_

_Edward!_ I called.

_Bella? _he asked tentatively.

_No shit._

_Oh._

_Why aren't you here?_

……

In Drake's thoughts I saw that Edward was near the literal tree-house. I resolved to get him myself.

"Watch them, will you?" I murmured quietly to Kura, before flitting out of the window.


	10. Forgiveness

**Edward's POV**

**10 - Forgiveness**

I leaned against a tree, staring at the ground.

So long I had spent keeping my Bella from sharing my fate, soulless and frozen in time, a monster. So long I had protected her from the possible fate of becoming a… a _vampire_. I mentally choked on the word, the hated word. All that time wasted. She was now one of us. Fate was against me. I whirled around as I heard a rustling, then relaxed when the scent wafted towards me. Without looking, I murmured, "Bella."

"Edward," she greeted. Her voice was higher, more musical. I was relieved. I hadn't had to make the decision to bite her, to commit the ultimate crime of turning her into a vampire, and yet I would never have to face the dominant urge of all vampires, the overwhelming compulsion, that instinctive yearning, to commit the other unforgivable crime of killing her and drinking her blood.

I shuddered ever so slightly. Maybe the fates were not so cruel after all.

"Why did you not come?" Bella asked, her voice hiding some emotion. I glanced sharply at her. Underneath the mask that immortality had given her, a hard mask that stopped me from reading her emotions, there was a trace of something.

Pain.

I looked away guiltily, biting my lower lip. My teeth were hard against my granite skin.

"I didn't come because…" I trailed off, looking at her. "I guess I just can't get my head around the fact that you're Bella, that you, a vampire, are Bella. You seem different." Her jaw hardened. I thought for a moment that she was going to strike me, and knew I deserved it for what I must have put her through. Instead, she lifted the barrier from her mind.

_She was walking with me on the day I left her in the forest. I told her that I didn't want her, and she believed me. She had always known that there was no reason that I should love her, that I was too good, too perfect, for her. And when it sunk in, the panic, the hurt, swallowed her, leaving her an empty shell._

_She was crying in the forest where I had left her, lying there, unable to find the will to move, to live. When Sam found her, she wouldn't even stand. She was filled with pain and nothingness. The meaning of her life, the other half of her, had broken off and left her. A clean break._

_She was sitting at lunch table, her face blank. The food in front of her was uneaten. Conversations swirled around her, but she, unnoticing, just sat there, staring at the seat where the Cullens had sat._

_She was numb on the inside, unfeeling. There was no such thing as joy or interest, no such thing as pain except for the occasional pangs._

_She was walking toward the men who seemed familiar. They looked like the ones who I had saved her from, the night she had revealed that she knew my secret. My secret life as a vampire. As she walked, she heard a voice, velvety and perfect, in her ears. My voice, warning her. She was amazed, addicted, unable to stop. She had to hear that voice!_

_She was thinking about the Cullens, the dark hole in her heart where we had been tearing at her. She wrapped her arms around her chest, holding herself together. And she took it gratefully. So long as she could remember us, the Cullens, the vampires of her life!_

_She was in the clearing with Laurent, my voice in her ears. And she was happy for the moment, because, no matter what situation she was in, when she heard that voice, she could pretend to herself that I cared for her._

As if I had a choice in loving her! Her memories went farther back, to better times.

_She was eating lunch, disappointment in her chest as she looked at the Cullen table and realized that I wasn't there. Then Jessica pointed me out on a separate table. I beckoned to her, one side of my mouth lifted into the smile that she loved. And how she loved it! She came to sit at my table, mesmerized and close to hyperventilating._

_We were at the Jeep at the night of the fateful baseball game that had eventually led to the death of James. I had just unloaded her from the car and was trying to convince her to let me run with her. I pinned her against the Jeep, even the smell of my breath breaking her train of thought. I pressed my lips to the hollow at the base of her throat, then drew a line up the skin of her throat. I kissed her eyelids now, then let me lips linger downwards to the corner of her mouth. Finally, I kissed her for the third time. Blood boiled under her skin, in her lips. She gasped, breathing in my heady scent. Her arms twined around mine, holding me to her._

Finally, her thoughts broke off, shielded again. I gasped, and found that I had fallen to the ground under the rush of emotion.

"Is that enough to prove that I'm Bella?" she asked. Her face was both tender and warm, and hard and cold. I rolled over to a sitting position, then into a kneel.

"Will you forgive me?" I asked, brimming with emotion. After a moment, she asked abruptly,

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course," I said, surely. "You remember all the things that we did, and yet you can doubt that?"

"You left me…" she whispered.

"It was for your own good." She bristled. "I decided that living your life surrounded by monsters would not do you any good, that it kept endangering your life. So I resolved that, if you wouldn't let me go, I would forcibly make you live a normal life." She snorted.

"You thought I would just be able to forget you?" she asked incredulously. "After everything we went through together?"

"I knew you wouldn't just forget, but I hoped that you would soon move on with your life, a normal human life. Also, I forgot how _different_ you are. Most humans forget the past." I broke the brief silence.

"I have to know. I know I can't blame you at all if you don't, because that was my goal in the first place. But… Do you love me still, after all the things I put you through?" She looked undecidedly at me for a moment, then seemed to make up her mind. She drifted forward dreamily, and we kissed. Her hands traced the lines of my chest as my hands strayed down to her waist, pulling her tightly to me. How I had missed this! But this was so different than my previous experiences with her. Before, she had been breakable, fragile to my vampire strength. Now she was stronger.

"Yes, I forgive you," she whispered into my ear.

And then a gurgled snarl erupted from near the house.

We spun together towards the noise.

"Drake," she whispered, horrified.

"Drake," I muttered.


	11. Enter the Werewolves

**Drake POV**

**11 - Enter the werewolves**

I was choking. I had felt the love, so like mine, in Edward's mind, seen the way his hands had touched her, the way _she_ had touched _him_. God I hated that boy! He did not deserve her, after the way he had left her, the way he had literally left her in the dirt. And she was taking him back. I and my family had saved her, and yet she would go back to _them_. They who had emptied her, left her devoid of emotion.

_Drake!_ Bryon shouted into my mind. _Come back!_

I realized that I was running, into the nearby mountains. I couldn't stop. I was running from my pain. I was weak.

A pair of beasts. They were huge, the size of bears, but definitely canine. A stench polluted the air. One… creature was russet brown, one dark silver. They snarled, crouching. I skidded to a stop.

I wouldn't run anymore. I would make up for my momentary panic and face this new threat. Although, like most animals, they probably wouldn't stand a chance. I dropped into a low crouch, baring my teeth, hissing. Venom flowed in my mouth.

_Drake!_ Amy shouted.

The wolves growled, the sound ripping from their huge chests. Then they launched themselves at me with surprising speed, a speed that matched vampires.

Suddenly, the brown wolf, the bigger one, froze, letting me dodge it easily. It flew past me, rolling to a stop. It stared behind me, broad shoulders heaving. It shook its head from side to side, as if to clear a distraction, then took a step towards whatever it was looking at. The silver wolf rolled to lessen the impact from the leap, then looked curiously at the brown wolf, following its gaze. I opened my mind to them.

_It can't be,_ the bigger one was thinking. _She's dead. It must be a trick. She's dead._ Its mind was filled with a pain that hazed over all his thoughts.

_Whoa. Calm down and clear your head. This is just another distraction. Don't be fooled! She didn't even look like that, remember? The bloodsuckers made an illusion of her, but made her look like one of them._

I blinked spastically. I had never met wolves that could think like humans. Especially in English. Which meant one thing.

They were werewolves.

I studied them with a new wariness, careful now. I read their minds again to see who was behind me.

It was Bella.


	12. Bella is my enemy now?

**A/N: I'm not going to be updating as often as before, cuz I'm starting to get really busy with random stuff. Whatever. Here's the next chapter. =) REVIEW PLEASE!**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Jacob POV**

**12 – I'm a werewolf, and Bella's a vampire… Great.**

This was too unreal to be reality.

A little over a month ago, I had gone to the movies with Mike Newton, a desperate boy, and Bella, who had rejected me for one of the Cullen freaks that appeared in our legends. Bella. I had loved Bella like I had never loved before. I lived for her, I was her sun. I could see her automatically relax, heal when I was with her. And that night, at the movies, I had begun to change.

It began with a fever of 105 degrees. And I had felt perfectly fine. Healthy as a horse. Then began the pain. Aches, soreness, _pain_ throughout my whole body. And when I was home, Billy said I looked strange. That was it, and it set me off. I morphed into the huge wolf that was now part of who I was and nearly ripped his face off. My own father! I couldn't trust myself. I would hurt the ones I loved most, like Sam had hurt his Emily, the one he had imprinted on. If that couldn't stop one of us, what could? Imprinting was finding your soul mate. Nothing else mattered. We werewolves, when we lose our temper, endanger everybody and everything near us. So I had hardened myself. If the shaking, the vibrating, started, I could easily leave. Leave where I was and go somewhere where I wouldn't hurt anyone. In the middle of the forest, for example. To keep everybody on the outside of our secret safe, I had severed all my connections to the outside world. Only one person who really mattered to me, not counting Quil, as he would be joining us soon, was outside of the secret.

Bella.

And as a result, she had run off and killed herself. It still pierced me when I thought of her, and my role in her death. It had hardened me further, almost beyond recognition. So, because her life had already been taken because of our secret that protected humans from the monsters called vampires, I decided to do our job as well as I could. I had already taken down a lone vampire by myself, and had helped with its infuriated mate. But still more vampires were hunting in the vicinity of Forks, and we were searching all over for them.

I was actually more controlled than many of my brothers of the pack who had lived this life longer than I had. Which is why I had been here with Paul. Paul, _once again_, had lost his temper and Sam, the Alpha, had ordered me to bring him somewhere secluded and far away. So I had come here, in the middle of the circular river.

Only to find vampires here.

These were probably the same ones who had been responsible for the murder in the area that the pack was guarding. It was our responsibility, no, our pleasure, to avenge the killings and take down the leeches.

But this bloodsucker looked so much like Bella! I couldn't bring myself to hurt this killer, no matter what the cost. Hopefully, Paul would be able to get away without being hurt. I stood my ground, baring my teeth at the male vampire while I stared at the female.

The male stared at me.

_What's with the male?_ Paul muttered. He had heard my handicap, my inability to hurt the female, and was not going to run, no matter what. _You get the male, I get the female._ I shook my head. I would take down the female, who looked stronger. I reluctantly faced it, crouching, then sprung straight at her. At the last moment, I twisted away at the last moment as I saw her face in my mind, so instead of ripping off its head as I had intended, I simply bowled into her.

_You're pathetic,_ Paul snorted at me, throwing himself at the male. It easily dodged him, stepping out of the way before he had even started jumping. Paul's eyes were wide with surprise. It flitted towards me, grabbing me with its granite hands around my throat. Instead of throttling me, as I had expected, it simply threw me aside, off of the female.

"Bella!" it muttered frantically. "Bella, are you okay?"

Both Paul and I froze. Its name was even Bella.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

After I had phased for the first time, the elders and the pack had shared our tribe's deepest darkest secrets. Including the ones concerning the Cullens.

I had always known them, having grown up with them as my father was one of the elders, but I had never known them as truth. The Cullens were vampires. And Bella had always spent her time with them. I shuddered, not with fear, but with a mixture of disgust and anger. This was the reason that my grudge against all vampires and my hatred of what I was was stronger than the rest of the packs.

Vampires and werewolves were the reason of Bella's death. Both the vampires' leaving her and my leaving her had caused her to commit suicide. In theory.

But if she had committed suicide, how was she here? The only reason I could think of was that the bloodsucker known to humans as Edward Cullen had bitten her, taken away her life. The Cullens were expanding.

My… _species_ had only one species that were our natural enemies. The bloodsuckers. Our very existence was to protect the blissfully ignorant humans from the vampires.

And now Bella was one.

Would this make me hate them less or more? Bella took a step towards me. I stood my ground.

"Jacob?" she breathed. A feeling coursed through me, wiping away all that was left of my logic. I phased right there on the spot, ignoring Paul's protests. Bella wrinkled her nose after seeing me and looked away, her eyes avoiding my naked body.

"Jake." she whispered, her eyes filled with tears. "You've changed so much…"

"Thanks," I said, grinning. "You've changed too."


	13. My best friend's a werewolf

**Bella's POV**

**13 – My best friend's a werewolf**

The wolf attacked me. It looked so familiar, yet it continually eluded me. I hadn't ever seen a wolf in my human life, had I?

_It's going to tackle you in a second. It's going for the head,_ Drake thought as quickly as he could. In less that a sixteenth of a second after Drake had thought the first word, I had tensed myself to step out of the way.

Then I had realized where I had seen the wolf.

I forgot to move, and the stinking, literally _stinking_, wolf flew onto me, not going for the head, as Drake had predicted, but simply knocking me head over heels. I pushed at it absently.

I remembered a dream that I had had as a human.

_I was standing in the forest with Mike and Jacob._

"_Go!" Mike yelled. I ignored him, curious. He ran into the forest._

_From the other side came Edward, but he was different. Blood trickled down from his mouth._

"_Trust me," he purred seductively. I took an involuntary step forward. Jacob yelped and fell to the ground, twitching. I watched in horror as he became a huge, bear-sized wolf._

"_NO!" I screamed, as the wolf launched itself toward Edward, teeth bared, aiming for the jugular._

I had had the dream after a day with Jacob. He had told me some of his tribe legends. About the cold ones, their mortal enemies, and their ancestors.

The werewolves.

Drake appeared beside me, pulling the might-be-Jacob wolf off of me and throwing him aside.

"Bella! Bella, are you okay?" he muttered frantically, worried.

_Why didn't you listen to me?_ he asked through our minds. I shook my head, too dazed for words.

"Jacob?" I breathed, eyes wide. The wolf shimmered slightly, shuddering. His fur flew into him, leaving him so much smaller. He reared up on his hind legs as the fur totally disappeared, leaving Jacob standing there, staring at me.

Naked.

I turned my head away, glaring at the trees above me.

"Jacob," I whispered. "You've changed so much. You're so… _big_. And the hair…" I motioned towards his hair, which had once been long and beautiful, and was now cropped short.

"Thanks," he grinned. "You've changed too."

"For the better or the worse?" I asked, still looking at the trees.

"Worse," he said flatly. I stiffened, hurt. Drake, by my side, snarled.

"Your mate?" he asked, gesturing towards Drake. "What happened to Edward?" Drake bared his teeth, hissing threateningly. I shook my head, then clamped a hand over Drake's mouth. After running out of air, he stopped. He glared at me, annoyed.

_Oi!_ he said.

_Oi, yourself._ I responded. _You know how much he means to me. Don't be rude to him._

_Fine…_ he grumbled, reluctantly. I uncovered his mouth.

"Don't have one," I said cheerfully. Drake opened his mouth, glanced at me, then closed it again.

_You annoy me,_ he grumbled.

_Thanks. It's a talent._

…

"Soooooo," I said after a long and awkward silence, "you want to come over?"

_OI!!!!!! _Drake yelled into my mind. He started swearing, and I, attempting to keep myself innocent, slid my shield back over my thoughts. I was met with a silence that I had not felt for so long.

"Erm…… Su-ure…" Jake grimaced. "Great. Back to the house of the bloodsuckers." I frowned.

"Please just call us vampires or something. The whole insulting thing is getting pretty annoying." Jake frowned, confused.

"How did you know that we called you that before?" In answer, I gestured towards Drake, who was sulking.

"Wait… But how did _he_ know?"

"He reads minds, no duh." He groaned.

"He reads minds? So the stories were true?"

"What stories?"

"There are stories that say that some vampires have extra abilities."

"Yes, they are."

"What about the Cullens?"

"Mind-reading, seeing the future, things like that."

"Greeeeaaaat," he groaned. I chuckled.

"So?"

"No thanks, Bells." I pouted.

He turned to leave. I stared at him, actually, only the upper half of his body, as he started walking.

"Will we see each other again?"

"We'll see…" Jacob said, pursing his lips. "I'm not really in control of my actions…." Without further explanation, he shifted forwards, falling towards the ground. The russet brown fur exploded out of him again, coalescing into a shape more than five times of his already huge size. He walked away, with Paul trailing.

"Bryon's gonna kill you," Drake sneered viciously, sprinting back towards the house. Apparently, he wasn't going to forgive me for choosing Edward over him soon. I bit my lip. Edward flitted to my side, stroking my head comfortingly, then we headed back towards the house, us against the world. Our, at least, us against the vampires.


	14. Marcus of the Volturi

A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I've been really really busy for a while, and I haven't had the time to update. Oh, and I'm also writing another fanfic on twilight, so I've been neglecting this one... Sorry Blood Moon! Don't kill me!

**Edward's POV**

**14 –Marcus**

We walked towards the house, enjoying eA/ach other's presence after the long time we had been separated.

"So, your boyfriend turns out to be a vampire, and your best friend, or former best friend at least, is a werewolf. You don't really care, do you?" I asked.

"'course not," she said with a shrug. "I always liked you the way you were, and he being a werewolf is just as… different in the eyes of a human as it is that I am a vampire."

"O-okay," I said, stretching it out. "So, has turning into a vampire turned you into a philosopher?"

"Maybe," she chuckled. I inhaled deeply, her scent filling my head.

We entered the house, where the rest of my family was waiting for me. Carlisle flitted to my side, and Amy to Bella's.

"What happened?" Carlisle murmured. I drew him aside and muttered a summary of what had happened since we last saw each other.

_Geez, I feel bad for Drake,_ Amy thought as she talked to Bella.

"Can we trust the werewolves?" she asked.

"I _think_ so…" Bella said thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. Where's Bryon?"

"Bryon went to calm down Drake."

"Oh." Bella looked guilty, pain in her eyes. I darted to her side, and placed my hand on her shoulder. I was hurting her again, I knew. It hurt her to hurt others, and she had chosen me over Drake. Not that I wasn't grateful. If she had chosen Drake, I would have let her go, and tried to not show my pain. But I would always be waiting in the wings. I knew from his thoughts that he was not attracted to her as I was, that they were not soul mates. Not that his love wasn't strong. He might have found his true love, and I would have been there for her.

But the pain I would have felt! Thankfully, she had chosen me, and I could afford to feel pity for Drake.

Not really.

"I'm hurting him," Bella whispered, her eyes closed.

"It's not your fault," I whispered viciously. "Don't blame yourself."

"But it is," she argued. "I'm the one hurting him. I shouldn't have… I should have broken it to him better. I should… I should have…" She trailed off, biting her lips.

"Don't think about it, Bella. Just think that we are together again!"

"Yes, we are," she said, brightening a little. She leaned in and kissed me. Our breathing both started to speed up. Her hands pulled me closer. Amy made gagging sounds.

"Yuck. Now I know who Drake feels. Not in public please."

I chuckled and let go of all but Bella's shoulders.

"Fine. We'll wait." I could tell by Bella's disgruntled expression that she was not happy with that. I grinned.

"But, who is Bella going to stay with now? Us, or you?" Amy wondered.

"That, I think, can wait till later," a new, flat voice said behind us. We whirled around, and when we saw who it was, we dropped into a crouch, snarling.

It was a delicate-looking, ancient vampire. His mind's voice was more dead than I would have thought possible, completely lifeless. The world in his eyes was bleak and meaningless, though I couldn't pinpoint why. He looked familiar, but I couldn't remember ever meeting an ancient. After a second I realized where I had seen him.

In Carlisle's study room, in a painting of four beautiful men on a balcony gazing down at the chaotic swirl of black robes beneath them.

It was Marcus of the Volturi, looking dead bored, accompanied by who I presumed were his bodyguards. One was a huge, grinning man with an olive complex, who reminded me of Emmett. The other was a lean, fierce man, with dark, wavy hair.

"Whazzup," the big one grinned.


	15. The enemy

**A/N: Hey all! Ummmm... I'm gonna start dedicating my chapters now... =) No, it's not just to people who sent good reviews, although it may be...**

**This chapter is dedicated to... (drumroll please) Dawn Wolfe, who supported me, gave me ideas (the mood ring), and always talks to me about our stories. Yay, Dawn Wolfe! =D**

**Oh, yeah. That new story I mentioned. I'm going to get some friends to help me name it, so it might take a while until it reaches the web. Oh well.**

**BTW: Carlisle's Angel, this chapter answers your question =P**

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**Edward's POV**

**15 – The enemy**

What was Marcus doing here? He didn't even know us. I'd only heard of him from Carlisle, who had stayed with the Volturi briefly early in his life.

_He's here for Aro, of course, the leader of the Volturi's ancients,_ I realized.

_Aro's not going to be happy with me when he finds out,_ Marcus mused in his head, clearly contradicting my thoughts. I blinked.

"Why, aren't you here for Aro?" I asked him, straightening a little. "A greeting to Carlisle or something?"

"How did you know that? The mind reader, maybe? And in answer to your question, no," he murmured in his whispery voice.

"Why are you here if not for Aro?" Bryon asked, stalking into the room, ignoring Bella. I hissed under my breath. That was rude of him. Marcus turned to look at him, then raised his eyebrows slightly as the rest of both the Cullen family and the other coven came to the room.

"Hello, Bryon, boy. My, these are quite a lot of vampires," he breathed. His bodyguards were getting twitchy by his side, trying to keep their eyes on each of the vampires. Everybody turned to Bryon.

"You know that guy?" Amy asked incredulously, glancing Marcus' papery skin, and crimson eyes that were filmed over. Marcus quietly noted Amy's examination.

"Marcus, one of the ancient three of the Volturi. He sees relationships. He was the one who changed me, and was briefly my mentor."

"You were part of the Volturi?" I asked curiously. The Volturi were the "international police" of the vampire world. They only accepted the best of the best. Usually those with abilities, which Bryon did not have.

"Of course not," Bryon snapped. "And why would I want to?" I blinked in surprise, hearing the disgust of the Volturi in his mind.

"But isn't it an honor, to be able to join the Volturi?"

"They are not as _honorable_," he spat, "as they make themselves sound." I was silent for a long moment, wondering what he meant.

"But how do you know him, if you were not part of his coven?" Amy wondered aloud.

"He created me, treated me like a son, let me go when I decided that the Volturi was not the life for me. When you are asked into the Volturi, it's not really a choice whether you join or not. My former friend, Chelsea, could control relationships, build them and tear them down. She would tie the recruit to the Volturi. Marcus forbade Chelsea from doing that to me. " He closed his eyes at a painful memory. "Aro was not happy with him. He hates being… disrespected." He looked at Marcus. "Did you get punished?"

"No."

"Really?" Bryon asked skeptically. "That doesn't sound like him."

"Hmmm…" Marcus said, sounding dead bored.

"You sound… different. Less emotional."

"Hmmm…" Marcus said again, still sounding dead bored.

"How's Didyme?"

"Didyme?" I broke in. "Never heard of her."

"His mate," Bryon explained impatiently. "Well, Marcus?"

"Dead," Marcus said softly. Pain clawed dully at his frozen heart. I realized that it was this that had made him so emotionless. Pity welled up inside me. I could not imagine what it would be like living while Bella was dead.

"How?" Bryon hissed, unbelieving.

"I don't know," he murmured in his whispery voice, loss saturating his voice. "I just don't know. She just disappeared one day."

"This just _reeks_ of Aro," Bryon snarled. Marcus chuckled without humorlessly.

"You have to remember that Didyme was his sister," Marcus replied. "Aro has, or at least used to have, a sense of honor. He would not have killed his sister in cold blood."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Bryon muttered under his breath. "Why are you here?"

"Ahhh," Marcus murmured. "We finally get down to business.

"I was with Aro and Caius when we got word that we had some visitors. They were four young vampires by the name of Julian, Mark, Lucifer, and Draco."

"Them!" Bryon hissed.

"Yes, them. Don't interrupt.

"Julian seemed to be the leader. He told us that he had heard of a huge coven of thirteen. He said that of that coven, many had highly valuable abilities. Aro, of course, was interested. Julian said that he had a grudge against them, and that he wanted assistance from the Volturi in wiping them out. He said that his coven also had amazing abilities, but they were severely outnumbered. Aro's ability is that, if he touches somebody with his hand, he knows every single thought that the vampire has had." Emmett and Jasper growled simultaneously.

"Peace," Marcus demanded, then continued. "Aro was going to shake hands with Julian, but, as Julian stretched out his hand, he suddenly snatched it back.

'I know your ability, and I know that you placed a guard to kill me if I was lying to you,' he said. Aro was, of course, surprised.

'How?' he had asked.

'Draco told me. Draco can read peoples minds and transfer the thought to somebody else.'" Amy giggled.

"Sounds like Drake," she laughed.

"Hush," Marcus ordered. "Julian did mention a vampire named Drake, but I'll tell you later.

'And what can your friend Lucifer do?' Aro asked. This set Julian laughing.

'Why, he knows everything that is going on in the world!'" Marcus chuckled. "You should have seen the look on Aro's face. He kept trying to touch Lucifer for the whole day." Everybody laughed.

"Really?" I asked incredulously. "He knows _everything_ that is going on in the world?"

"Yes," Bryon said seriously. "They are the rival group I told Bella about when she joined us. Their leaders, Julian, Mark, and Lucifer used to be part of my original coven a long time ago. We were "vegetarians," just like we are now. They rebelled against our lifestyle, and our leader at that time was forced to lead us against them. We killed their mates, but couldn't manage to kill them. They got away using information from Lucifer."

"Anyways, Aro refused to give them the official help of the Volturi. Julian told him all of your names, as well as your abilities. I think he's planning to try to find your coven and _recruit_ it into the Volturi."

"Never," Bryon hissed.

"Caius is unofficially breaking off with the Volturi, though. He's supporting Julian's coven. He's out looking for power."

"And you?" Bryon asked.

"When I heard your name and a description, I hoped you might be here, and I decided to check whether it really was you."

"And now that you're sure?"

"I'll be joining your group, I guess, along with my two bodyguards, Demetri and Felix." He glanced at Bryon. "_If _you'll let us."

"Of course, father."

Marcus smiled.


	16. Help

By Drago1300

**A/N: I have noticed something troubling... I'M NOT GETTING VERY MANY REVIEWS!!!!! So for this chapter I have two dedications...**

**One: Becca, Urvs, Christina, Chubs, Dix, and all of my other friends who urged me to get this story online and keep bugging me for more. Thanx guys =)**

**Two: This one's to Frozo Drago, the only person who's reviewed my last chapter so far. Thanks!**

**Oh yeah... I want to start my "Phobias of the... Chapter" list...**

_**- **Agateophobia: Fear of insanity _(Now why would you be afraid of me?)

_- Alliumphobia: Fear of garlic_ (I thought this was fitting, as this is a vampire story)

_- Anthrophobia: Fear of flowers_

_- Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth _(...?)

_- Aulophobia: Fear of flutes_

_- Autodysomophobia: Fear of one that has a vile odor_

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**Bryon POV**

**16 - Help**

"Will you help us, Carlisle?" I said, walking in the forest surrounding the castle with Marcus, Felix, my old friend, and Carlisle.

"Of course," he replied. "After all, Bella is both part of our family and yours."

"We're going to need help," I can muster up a few, maybe five."

"Nobody," Felix shrugged.

"I can get quite a few," Carlisle said, his brow creased with worry, "but I don't want to endanger them."

"I'll send for my friends right now," I said after a moments pause. "DRAKE!"

Drake appeared near us, a gaunt, unfriendly look about him. He nodded to us in greeting.

"Yes?"

"Gather everyone else."

He nodded, then his eyes went slightly blank as he sent the message to all nineteen vampires. There was a rustling, and a huge mass of vampires poured into the clearing that we had happened to stop at.

"Kura," I called.

"Yes?" he answered, coming in front of me.

"Bring Sora with you and get your brothers."

He bowed his head, then, grabbing Sora by the hand, they flitted out of the clearing.

"Drake," I said. He looked up at me.

"Bring Andrew and Lee with you and get Vera and anyone she's staying with," I ordered. He nodded, then disappeared. I turned to the Cullens. Carlisle was sending everyone out to find people as well.

"Jasper and Alice, go look for Peter and Charlotte. Emmett and Rose, bring Tanya's family and any nomads you happen to meet. Edward, Bella, Esme, and I will go try to sort something out with the werewolves." Everybody nodded, then disappeared into the shadows that lay over the darkness.

"Now what should I do," I mused. I glanced at Felix, then said, "Feel like some bear?"

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	17. Returning to the Wild

By Drago

**A/N: Yes, it's short. I just felt it was a good stopping place... =D**

**Erm... Dedications... This chapter is dedicated to Carlisle's Angel, for the enthusiasm. You go! =D**

**Phobias of the Chapter...**

**- **Barophobia: Fear of gravity (Well... That sucks)

- Bibliophobia- Fear of books (Not me, that's for sure)

- Botanophobia: Fear of plants

- Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia: Fear of body smells (Ermmm...)

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**Kura's POV  
17 – Returning to the wild**

I ducked into the forest. Sunlight trickled through the trees. Birds sang all above us. Insects chirped around us, adding to the symphony of the wild. A distant waterfall roared, the gentle wind caressed the tree tops, and a nearby stream made a delicious trickling sound. I took a deep breath. The air here was unpolluted; the scents of the animals around me swirled in the clear, crisp air, wafted by the breeze. This was where I belonged. This was my home.

Sora held my hand beside me, humming happily, albeit nostalgically, the ancient songs of our original coven. The breeze played with her hair, making it swirl behind her. Her sent washed through the vicinity.

"Hello," a deep voice rumbled behind us. The breeze had not even brought us warning of his approach. "I never thought I would see you again, Kura. Nor you, Sora. Turn around slowly."

1


	18. Homecoming

By Drago

**A/N: Heya! Anyways, I'm still not getting all that many reviews, not even as many as I had before. ='( REVIEW PLZ!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Carlisle's Angel as well, because the last one was too short... -.-'**

**Erm... Phobias of the Chapter!**

**Caligynephobia: Fear of beautiful women (Poor Rosalie)**

**Cardiophobia: Fear of the heart**

**Cathisophobia: Fear of sitting**

**Chaetophobia: Fear of hair**

**Chorophobia: Fear of dancing (*cough Bella cough*)**

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**Sora's POV**

**18 - Homecoming**

I turned slowly, Kura copying me by my side. We faced three crimson-eyed male vampires one of whom was holding a torch. They were dressed casually, with bare chests and camo-print pants. Each of them was as muscled as Kura, one even bigger. There was something wild about them. They examined me and my mate for a long time.

"Why are you here, Kura?" rumbled the biggest.

"You left your brothers, then, after one hundred long years, you return?" smirked the slimmest. "What? Did the other coven not work out so well for you?"

"Hello, brothers," Kura said politely, dipping my head.

"You are not welcome here. You will tell us what you want with us quickly, then leave immediately," growled the biggest. Hurt flooded into me. I could see Kura had been affected as well. He clenched his fist. His massive body was quivering, wracked with furious spasms. His jaw worked. His chest shook was a silent growl. A blood-red haze crept over his narrowed eyes.

"Kura," I said warningly. "Kura, calm down." His shaking subsided, his eyes turning back into their normal tawny gold. He stood stock still, stiff as a board. I sighed. My hands touched his body gently. Every time I touched him, that muscle would relax. Finally, he was calm again.

"Thank you, brothers," he said sarcastically.

"I see you retained the ability of the blood-rage," the biggest said calmly. "I thought you were going to go live a nice, peaceful life."

"Of course I did, Ursa," Kura said. "You were the first to have lured me into it for eighty years now. At least now I know I did not lose it."

"You always were the tamest of us," Ursa commented. "I would have never been able to leave our fierce lifestyle so quickly."

"The lifestyle of _warriors_," the smallest sneered. "I guess we know why it was so easy for you to leave it behind you." Kura growled.

"That's enough, Kafa," Ursa ordered. Kafa muttered under his breath.

"Still as soft-spoken as usual, I see, Kafa," Kura muttered. "And I see that Kuma is still as quiet as ever," he said more loudly. The man who hadn't said a word throughout the whole exchange nodded at Kura.

"Brother," he murmured softly.

"What do you think, Kuma?" Ursa asked. "Shall we forgive our little brother Kura and hear him out?" Kuma was the wisest of the group. He thought for a moment, then nodded. Kura grinned and embraced him.

"Thanks, Kuma," he said.

"You're more… happy since you left," Ursa commented as they walked towards their home.

"You guys are always so dead serious," Kura joked. "Maybe that was the actual reason I left." Ursa put a hand on his shoulder.

"We still need to talk about that later," he said quietly. Kura nodded, and they started walking again.

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**A/N: Review! You know you want to! If you don't, the giant ball of DOOM will come and squish you!**

**WHY DO THEY ALL HAVE BEAR RELATED NAMES IN THIS COVEN?!?! Maybe I'll tell you later... if I remember! =P**


	19. Old friends

By Drago

**A/N: Hola! I know I've been doing a bad job updating, but I've been _really_ busy for the past while. Whatever.**

**REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS! I am greedy and want them all! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH-- ahem. Sorry.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Quest Crew, winners of America's Best Dance Crew, Season 3, and Jabbawockeez, winners of ABDC Season 1. 3**

**Time for... Phobia's of the Chapter! I don't know about you, but in my opinion, some of these would be _extremely_ annoying having...**

**- Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia- Fear of money  
- Chromophobia or Chromatophobia- Fear of colors  
- Chronomentrophobia- Fear of clocks**

**- Chronophobia- Fear of time  
- Cibophobia- Fear of food**

**I know the chapter is short but I don't really have that much time to write. Enjoy =)**

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**Drake's POV**

**19 – Old friends**

I was striding across a large, barren plateau that towered over a forest. Andrew and Lee had stayed behind as to not startle Vera. The reddish, yellowish dust swirled around my feet. There was no wind, so scents didn't travel as far. I was quivering with anticipation. The only thing that marred my happiness was the memory of Bella, so I tried not to think of her. Not that it helped. She was the first thing on my mind at all times. In the minds of humans who I had passed on my way here, I saw a dark eyed, dark haired boy, graceful and beautiful, who kept on randomly wincing.

_Whatcha doin' here, Drake?_ a voice asked in my head. I grinned.  
_Missed you like Hell, Vera. Although that wasn't the only reason. You still a loner?_

_Naw. The Oracle just stayed behind._

_What Oracle?_

_Oh. Travelling companion._

While we were conversing, a familiar female vampire clambered up over the edge of the plateau, laughing. Her layered, deep brown hair was in disarray from sprinting through the forest. Her eyes were coal black, so dark that every time Drake locked eyes with her, they seemed to suck him in.

"Hey, emo, in-people's-heads boy," she smiled, hugging him and kissing him on both cheeks.

"Hey, anorexic vampire," I grinned, ruffling her hair. "So who's this "Oracle" guy?"

"Sexist, sexist!" she laughed. "For all you know, the Oracle could be a girl!" In her mind, I saw a cheerful, handsome man with cropped, snow-white hair. His eyes were raven black, like Vera's.

"Yeah, right," I snorted. "Very feminine." I tapped my temple, sending a thought to her. _Mind reader, remember? _I sent the image back.

"Cheater," she grumbled. I laughed.

"Anyways, who is he? Is he really _that_ Oracle?"

"Yep."

"Wow… You attract the strangest of our kind, don't you?"

"It's a talent. Why are you here, anyways?"

In answer, I let the events that had occurred since Bella joined our coven flow into her mind. After a moment, her eyes widened.

"Shit. They're coming after Bryon?"

"Yeah." She turned away, bounding off towards the edge of the plateau, clearly expecting me to follow.

"Where are you going?" I asked as we ran. "I can just call the Oracle from here." She turned her head a little to chuckle.

"Well, I need to pack, don't I?" she replied as we hurtled off the plateau and into the forest below.

1


	20. Realization

**A/N: Kinda boring chapter... No action, no nothing; purely a Jacob thought-shot. Whatever. =D**

**Dedicated to everybody out there who has reviewed this fanfic or is planning to. If this includes you, pat yourself on the back, and treat yourself to a cookie.**

**PHOBIA TIME!!! The phobias of the chapter are...**

Cleptophobia- Fear of stealing

Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed

Coprastasophobia- Fear of constipation (...)

Consecotaleophobia- Fear of chopsticks

**Yeah... Kinda short chapter, but... I'm a busy person, OK? DEAL WITH IT!**

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**Jacob's POV**

**20 - Realization**

I was wandering around the forest near La Push. How could it be that _she_ of all people was now a… a _leech_? The one person most important to me, more important than myself. Now I was obligated to kill her. How could I do that? Although it shouldn't matter to me. After all, she had chosen that bloodsucker over me.

The Cullens.

How I hated them! They were the reason so many of us down at the rez couldn't live normal, human lives. Instead, we transformed into huge dogs. Why couldn't they just move? Why did they have to sentence sweet Bella to an eternity of parasitism?

The Cullens were one of the few covens that drank animal blood; therefore they had the rare molten gold eyes, unlike others' crimson eyes. It couldn't just be a coincidence that the other vampire with Bella also had golden eyes.

The Cullens were expanding.

They were forbidden to bite anyone by our treaty, so they were simply getting other covens to join forces with them. The new vampires were technically untouched by the treaty, so they could change humans, including Bella. The Cullens were expanding, but to what purpose I had no clue. It couldn't be anything good; who had ever heard of a vampire doing good? I saw a flaw in this plan, whatever that plan was, though.

The other covens weren't protected by the treaty.

We could kill them, and the Cullens would lose their army.

I phased and began to run to tell Sam my idea.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**(P.S.; Can somebody tell me the difference between "hits" and "visitors" in the Traffic section? Thanks!)**


	21. Pants!

**I'M SOOOOOOO SORRY!**

**I fell so guilty about neglenting... whoever reads my fanfic, but I'm always busy, busy, busy. GAH! WHY CAN'T SUMMER COME ALREADY! Oh, and I'm also working on a story and two other Twilight fanfics at the same time, so... ya. =P I might just post the fanfics soon, but I'm planning on finishing the short one before I do. I also need a name for the other one... If you have any suggestions, please put it in a review. THANK YOU FOR STILL READING!**

**Anyways... The phobias of the chapter. Here ya go.**

Deipnophobia- Fear of dining or dinner conversations

Dementophobia- Fear of insanity (Not again! I'm really not that scary!)

Dendrophobia- Fear of trees  
Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body (... Hmmm... How specific)

Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school (Can you use this as an excuse to skip school? "I'm sorry, but it seems that I've developed didaskaleinophobia overnight. I will not be able to attend school anymore.")

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Jacob POV**

**21 - Pants!**

I reached La Push, tongue lolling out, panting. I phased smoothly as I reached the edge of the forest, rearing up onto my hind legs the exact moment I shifted. I looked down at myself, groaning. I couldn't just walk into La Push nude. I phased again. Embry, Seth, and Quil.

_Embry! Seth! Quil! Somebody!_

_Yo! Hey Jacob! What d'you need?_ asked Seth.

_'Sup…_ answered Embry. Quil was too busy playing with Claire, a cute little toddler he imprinted on, to take notice of us.

_Can one of you drop by my house, pick up a pair of jeans, and give it to me?_

_No underwear?_ Seth asked cheekily.

_You know what I mean!_ I replied exasperatedly. _Just hurry. It's urgent._

_What's urgent?_ Embry asked. I waited until Seth phased to answer him. Seth was to excitable for me to trust. Then I let myself think of everything that had happened since I bumped into Bella in the woods.

_Whoa_, he thought. Suddenly, a new voice joined us.

_Oh, hey, Jacob._

_Hi, Paul._

_You told Embry about who we saw in the forest today?_

_Yeah,_ I replied. _About that…_ I let my idea flow into their minds. _Do you agree?_ It would be best if I had his approval. After all, he and Jared were Sam's second-in-commands.

_Do I approve of hunting down some bloodsuckers? Do you really have to ask? Hell yeah!_ He was brimming with enthusiasm. I chuckled.

_Glad to know it._

_Guys, guys!_ Embry interrupted. _You guys haven't even thought things through. They probably have so many vampires by now! You said the male had a bunch of scents that you didn't recognize on it. These must be its coven. You smelled about fourteen new scents, the scents of all the Cullens, and Bella's scent! That's more than twenty frigging vampires! Did you consider how many people we would lose? If they all have golden eyes, then they're safe for now._

_Exactly._ Paul growled mentally. _They have more than _twenty_ bloodsuckers! That's way too fuckin' much! We need to do something about this _now_, before they grow even more!_

Shoot. Seth was phasing. It took him a while, because he was pretty new.

_Everybody, phase!_ I thought. I felt both Paul and Embry phase, then, moments later, Seth's mind joined with mine.

_Where did everyone else go? _he wondered. I could see that he was almost here, with a pair of jeans and, to my great amusement, a pair of carefully wrapped underwear.

_Um, they had something to do. Dunno what._ Shoot. I had to keep thinking about random things. Erm… Paul's a bastard, Paul's a bastard, Paul's a bastard…

_What are you trying to keep me from finding out? _Seth thought suspiciously.

_If there was a reason to tell you, I would have already told you,_ I grunted. _Seeing as I haven't, there is no reason for you to know._

_But we're in the same pack! The pack should have no secrets!_

_Hmmmm…_

Seth burst into the forest, with my clothes carefully between his teeth so as not to get wolf slobber all over them.

_Thanks, kid,_ I thought, pulling back my upper lip and lolling out my tongue in a wolf laugh. I phased and changed. He trotted behind me as I walked toward Sam's house, bare-chested. I knocked on the door.


	22. I'm confuzzled

**=) My readers make me happy... (reviews, especially)**

**I was quite shocked when I still got favorited and reviewed, even though I hadn't posted for about a month. I 3 u guys.**

**Dedications go tooooooo: TopazEyesx77 for having reviewed me so much, and da13real for giving me the longest review for a while!**

**Phobialist:**

Diplophobia- Fear of double vision

Dipsophobia- Fear of drinking

Doxophobia- Fear of receiving praise (???)

Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch

**And just for da13real 3**

Cynophobia - Fear of dogs (Jacob)

Necrophiba - Fear of dead bodies (Edward)

**Luckily, Bella has neither.**

**----------------------------------------------------**

**Jacob POV**

**22 – I'm confuzzled**

_Thanks, kid,_ I thought, pulling back my upper lip and lolling out my tongue in a wolf laugh. I phased and changed. He trotted behind me as I walked toward Sam's house, bare-chested. I knocked on the door.

"Hello, Jacob, Seth," Emily greeted as she opened the door, beckoning for me to follow her into the cheerful, homey kitchen. I stooped into the house.

"What can I do for you guys?" Emily called over her shoulder, taking a batch of fresh blueberry muffins from the oven. She proffered one to me. Seth crouched low and crawled up the steps, trying not to knock anything over. Emily arched an eyebrow. When he was completely out of sight, he phased.

"Can I steal a pair of pants from Sam?" he called down to Emily.

"Sure, but I'm going to have to turn you in to him," she laughed.

"And how can I help you?" she smiled, turning to me.

"Could I possibly speak to Sam?" I asked, accepting it. I took a bite. Delicious, as always.

"He's talking to someone," she answered, setting the tray of muffins on the small, round wooden table.

"Where is he?" I asked, standing. I needed to talk to him as soon as possible.

"Outside," she said, waving her hand vaguely to the back of the house. I ducked out of the house, stuffing the rest of the muffin into my mouth.

I saw Sam in the forest behind La Push, leaning against a tree, talking to somebody. I couldn't see who it was; a tree was blocking my line of sight. I sprinted towards him, then froze.

Sam was talking to Bella.

As I got into earshot, I could tell that they were finishing up their business, whatever it was. They shook hands, although they both wrinkled their noses slightly.

"Thank you for hearing me through," Bella said, with a sincere smile.

"No problem. If you told us correctly, we are on the same side, now, I guess. Thank you for taking the time to warn us. I will do my best to get the pack to help."

I was confused. Warned him of what? We were going to help some bloodsuckers? Bella nodded, then spun around and ran straight into me. I froze. Behind Bella, Sam frowned.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, Jacob," he said seriously. I felt like I was about to burst.

"What's going on?!" I exploded. "I come to speak to you, and I see you making peace with a f-filthy bloodsucker?!" I stuttered over the word "filthy"; how could I call Bella, dear Bella, "filthy"?

"Surely you do not have any problems with our treaty with the Cullens?" he asked dryly. "You know that, without it, we would all be dead. Or, in your case, you wouldn't' have even been born yet."

"Yes! But she's not with the Cullens!"

Sam sighed.

"You do not know what you are talking about. Please listen to the whole story before you judge. Now let's gather the rest of us. Excuse us please, Bella," he said. She flitted out of sight. We both undressed and phased.

_QUIL! _Sam commanded. We could see that Quil was trotting around on the beach, with Claire on his back. He gazed at her adoringly as he answered.

_Yeah, boss? What's up?_

_Get the others._ Sam phased, motioning for me to stay as a wolf. As soon as he finished dressing, he called for Bella.

"I need you to tell the pack everything that you told me." She nodded.


End file.
